


Still Needed

by CyborgWrites



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Fluff, Insecure Lance, M/M, Matt is awesome gotham, Miscommunication
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-25
Updated: 2017-11-25
Packaged: 2019-02-06 15:27:24
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,886
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12820479
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CyborgWrites/pseuds/CyborgWrites
Summary: "I mean... if you marry me then we'd both be Katie's brothers."It's out of his mouth before he realizes exactly what he said and Lance is staring at him, his face flushed red.In which Lance feels unneeded now that Matt is around but Matt proves him wrong.





	Still Needed

It shouldn't have been a big deal, Lance thinks. But he feels his eyes stinging as he walks away from the lounge where Matt and Pidge are exchanging stories. He doesn't want to bother her now that her actual brother is back. 

She doesn't need Lance anymore. 

She doesn't need him to tell her jokes. To make sure she eats. To make sure she goes to bed at a reasonable hour. To carry her to bed and tuck her in. To play video games with her. Go on space mall adventures with her. Help her clean her room...

All the things he used to do on earth for his younger siblings... 

This is the way things are. The way they're supposed to be.

He tells himself he doesn't have the right to be bitter. But he is.

Because it's not just Pidge. If it were, he'd live.

But he has to watch Shiro ask for Matt's input. He has to hear Hunk gush over how smart Matt is. He has to watch him banter with Keith. He watches him flirt with Allura without being given stink eye. 

His saving grace is that he's still Coran's favorite and Kolivan doesn't actually "like" anyone but Lance even though he's training Keith.

But overall it feels like Lance could disappear and they'd not care because there's Matt who is... everything. But Lance doesn't have the energy to fake an entire rivalry like he did with Keith. Besides, Pidge would kill him.

So he keeps to himself. Trains harder. Doesn't notice that in his absence, things aren't quite the same.

Hunk doesn't have Lance's random chatter to bring him out of the constant tech talk. To remind him there's other things to think about. He's around less to taste Hunk's food and no one else reacts the way Lance does. 

"He hasn't eaten with the group in three days. Haven't bothered him since he seems so busy these days," he tells Matt one day.

Matt frowns as he leaves the kitchen, Hunk sighing softly behind him.

He enters the bridge, Lance walking in behind him. He can see Allura turning to acknowledge them and looking at Lance expectantly.

"Good morning, princess," he says and sits down in his chair.

She stares at him another moment, face falling when he says nothing else.

Matt clears his throat, prepared to ease the tension, "Allura, you look pretty today. You do anything different?"

She smiles, relaxing a bit, but it doesn't reach her eyes.

"Thank you, Matthew. And I put klion oil in my hair."

"Ah," he says as Shiro walks in.

"Hey Matt, I got those blueprints I told you about."

Matt smiles, still watching Lance in his peripheral.

"Great!"

"Yeah, there's actually a couple of levels to cover at one of the bases."

He looks between Matt and Lance but Lance doesn't see it, he's going over battle plans on his monitor.

Shiro clears his throat, catching Lance's attention.

Lance arches a brow, blue eyes tired in a way Shiro hadn't noticed till now.

"Lance, Matt and I are going over blue prints."

"Oh, sorry? I can leave."

He gets up to leave and Allura turns around, a concerned look on her face which she shares with Shiro.

He opens his mouth to call Lance back but he's already out the door.

"Something's wrong, Shiro. Hunk says he hasn't seen Lance in days. He comes in here and doesn't attempt to flirt with me once. And now he won't even try to make suggestions to you?"

Matt frowns.

"When did this start?" He asks.

Allura ponders a moment.

"Actually, a little after you arrived."

That gives Matt pause.

Hmm...

"I'll go talk to him," Matt says, patting Shiro's shoulder, "we'll go over plans when I have Lance."

Lance trudges down the hall. He doesn't blame Matt. Hell, if Lance didn't feel so inadequate next to him he'd be good friends with a guy like Matt. Doesn't hurt that he's cute to boot.

He passes Keith who's on ship for the next week.

"Hey Lance, red hasn't bitten your head off yet I see."

Lance rolls his eyes.

"Good one, Mullet."

Keith stops, eyes burning into Lance's back as he walks away without another word.

"The fuck..."

"Weird, isn't it?" He heard a voice say behind him.

He turns around and Matt is looking at him with an unreadable expression.

"Yeah? He never passes an opportunity to push my buttons. It's... not like him."

Matt hums, walking past Keith.

"I'll talk to him."

"You sure?" Keith calls.

"Yeah. He and I need to chat anyway."

Keith sighs, shaking his head as Matt disappears around the corner, following Lance.

"I leave for two weeks..."

He finds Lance in an observatory. According to Pidge, that's where he spent most of his free time. When he walks in there's a holographic map of the stars on display, a lone figure sitting below, watching it spin.

"Hey, there," Matt says.

Lance's eyes flicker up in acknowledgement before refocusing on the star map.

Matt shrugs, going over and sitting next to him.

"Come here often?"

Lance hugs his knees.

"When I can. I get homesick."

Matt nods. "So maybe a star map isn't the most helpful."

Lance shrugs. "Sometimes you need reminders. Even when they're painful."

"Why is it painful?"

Lance sighs.

"Because... because it reminds me of the people I left behind. Reminds me that I have to make it back. That I can't give up. Even if all the people the believe in me and love me unconditionally are millions of light years away."

"So you don't have that up here?"

Lance doesn't respond but his silence, the way he avoids Matt's eyes deliberately speaks volumes.

"Lance, you know the team cares about you. Allura looks ready to have a meltdown every time you... forget... to tell her she's pretty. Shiro keeps wondering why you won't contribute to planning-"

Lance scoffs.

"She hates when I flirt with her and Shiro doesn't listen to me... like ever... you must have them confused."

Matt frowns. Had he missed something?

"Hunk says he's missed you at dinner and that he misses you."

Lance softens at that. No one wanted to make Hunk sad.

"I'll talk to him later."

Matt nods, somewhat plactated.

"Keith was worried about you earlier. You seemed to brush him off."

Lance snaps his head in his direction.

"Brush him off? I mess with him, he complains. I don't mess with him and he's still emo?"

Matt laughs and dammit Lance hates how cute he sounds.

"I don't know about emo... guess he misses your dynamic. Seems everyone does. You seem to keep everyone going around here."

Lance huffs, resting his chin between his knees.

"Fat chance. Half of the time I annoy everyone or they don't take me seriously. In all fairness, I might've shot myself in the foot by trying so hard to lighten the mood..."

Matt nods sympathetically.

"Maybe you missed something then. Pidge talks about you all the time. I heard you had quite the space mall adventure. One that landed you a pet cow?"

Lance chuckles.

"Yeah we did."

"So why are you so distant?"

Lance's denial is immediate.

"I'm not... distant."

"Then what is it. Why are you-"

Lance explodes.

"They don't need me anymore, okay!"

Matt keeps his face neutral and his tone calm after the inital shock wears off.

"Why do you say that?"

Lance mumbles under his breath but Matt doesn't quite catch it, leaning closer.

"What was that?"

Lance turns to him, his expression sad. Pity, Lance is too pretty to be that damn sad.

"I said... they have you. And you're perfect  so they don't need me."

Matt wants to punch something.

"Lance I am not perfect. And of course they need you. They miss you. They're worried about you. They want you around. I know Pidge does..."

"But you're back."

Matt blinks at him.

"Is that what this is about?"

Lance shakes his head.

"It's not bad, I promise. She missed you so much. She searched the universe for you. But I can't replace you. I just wanted her to have... someone. I know I'd want my little sister to be looked after."

Matt shakes his head.

"I appreciate that. And so does she. But you don't have to stop on account of me. Besides, there's some things she neglected to tell you."

"Oh?"

"Lance, all that stuff you do for Pidge? I didn't do half of that shit."

Lance gapes at him.

"What?"

"Yeah," Matt says, "I encourage her, geek out, play video games and invent with her, fight beside her, share secrets with her and bring her a slice of dessert from time to time but.... all that over the top stuff-"

"Its perfectly normal to do what I do!"

"- Yeah in your family. And Pidge let you because she cares about you as much as you care about her. You didn't replace me. You didn't have to. And I can't replace you. Now, I don't know what to tell you about Allura but we can talk to Shiro later about being more receptive. I'll back you up. You can talk to Hunk and Keith later and then you can I can both play a game with Pidge. Is that cool?"

Lance nods, relaxing a bit.

"Okay... and I'm sorry."

Maty frowns.

"For what?"

"For... I don't know, being dramatic and maybe making you think I hate you or something. I don't. I just... I get self-conscious around people when I think they're cool."

Matt flushes.

"Y-You think I'm cool?"

"Yeah," Lance says, blushing.

Matt smiles.

"I think you're cool, too."

That earned a squeal from Lance as he hid his face in his hands.

Ha. Cute.

Lance looked up as Matt started chuckling to himself.

"What?" He asked, arching one of his well-groomed brows.

"I was just thinking," Matt said.

"What? What is it?" Lance pressed.

"If you married me then we'd both be Katie's brothers."

It's out of his mouth before he realizes he's really said it and Lance is gaping at him, faced flushed completely red, leaving him a sputtering mess.

He looks precious, Matt thinks fondly.

Lance has to remember to breathe when Matt reaches over to lay a hand over his.

"But for that we'd have to go on a date first, yeah?"

"I- yeah," Lance whispers.

Matt's eyes widen.

"Wait, really?"

Lance nods happily 

"I- uh- didn't think that would work..." Matt admits.

Lance laughs before he can help it.

"Are you telling me you've been a smooth motherfucker all this time... completely on accident?"

"Yes?"

Lance is crying laughing now and it's so contagious Matt can't help but join him. Lance stops long enough to pin Matt with a look that makes him feel like his skin is on fire.

Oh.

An hour later finds Pidge walking in on them making out and immediately running out covering her eyes.

"My eyes!!! The horror! The horror."

Lance pulls away from Matt's mouth, giggling. Both of them have messed up hair. It's fine, though because Lance is smiling and Matt feels the flare of hope that comes with the start of something new.

That maybe, just maybe, they can make a home on their way...

...home.

 

 

 

 

 

 


End file.
